Arch support



1933- 5. LE R. SPIYCER ET AL 1,928,634

ARCH SUPPORT Filed Aug. 51, 1932 Patented Octrs, 1933 i f ggg w Our invention relates to improvements in arch supports, andthe object of the invention is to provide an arch support which will give a maxi mum amount of relief to persons {suffering from arch trouble and kindred ailments and, at the same time, permit of normal circulation of the blood'in the feet and provide'a maximum' de gree of comfort in walking and permit of the re establishment of normalmuscular functions, together with; the re-adjustment of .the ligaments of, the. feet,-and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

through a boot showing a foot and our arch sup port therein, the arch supportandadjacent por-v tions of the foot being in section. I I

Fig. 2. is an enlarged perspective view of our arch support built for the left foot.

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the'leather sole v piece/forming the top of the.support'and',upon

which the foot directly rests. k

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective detail of the felt pad which is located directly beneath the sole piece illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the metallic parts forming the resilient support for the'foot,

located directly beneath the padfillustrated in Fig. 4 and showingfthe metatarsal or transverse arch support carriedthereby:

Fig. 6 is a perspective v ew port similar to the viewillustrated in Fig. 2 in the inverted position.

Fig. '7 is a transverse Fig. 1011 11116 7- 7.. V I

. Fig. 8 is atransvers e sectionalview through Fig. 1 on line 8-8. y I f Fig. 9 is a sectionaldetail throughthe metatarsal or transverse arch support and a fragment of thefmain plate upon whichit iscarried.

Fig. 10 is a perspective detail of the metatarsal arch support, and

sectional view through Fig. 11 is a fragmentary portion of the main 15 A plate. showing the means for adjustably connecting the metatarsal arch support thereto. 7

In the drawing like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 indicates a boot or shoe provided with the 501 usual sole and heel 2 and 3. 4 indicates a foot fitting within the 'boot or shoe, the lower portion of the foot extending from the ball ofthe big toe to theheel being broken away in section. 5 is a leather piece shaped to fit the foot .to extend between the rear portion of the ball Fig. 1 represents alongitudinal sectionalview" of our arch sup of theifoot to adjacent. the rear the "heel so as toextend over the waist of the foot and upon which thefootis directly. supported. e

. The edges of the leather piece 5, on the under: side are bevelled orskivedoff as indicated-ate? so as to give a smooth and even contact between the sole of the shoe and the we arers foot, prevent ing irritation-and the formation ofcallouses. dindicates a felt pad which is placed on'the upper side ofthe main metallic plate Tlwhichis arched longitudinally so as tofit beneath the waist of the-foot, the inner side and rear end of the pad 6 being bevelled off as indicatedat 6 and 6. The feltpad 6 partially fills in the hollow below what is known as the waist of-the foot and isextended somewhat beyond the backor heel end of themain plate 7, the bevelled portions of the pad providing a gentle slope-tocomplete the support where it rests on the Wearers heel. The bevelled portion ofthe -pad E is forv the purpose .of easing the wearers foot slightly lower on thefolfside orputer side of thefoot. TheDa l'B and leather sole piece 5 are secured to the main 'plate byrivets5. I I 8 is a metallic strip secured to the under side of the main plate '7 adjacent the rear or heel end thereof as indicated by the rivets 8 The strip 8is tempered from the rivets 8 forward of that I strip being substantially located centrally of the foot so that when, thepressure'of the foot bears upon the arch support there isatendency for the, support to becomemore compressed towards. the inner side of the foot than at the outer side as indicated in Fig. 7 following thenatur'al transverse slant of the lower surface of the foot.

A further spring support is formed by a transverse spring plate or strip 10 which is riveted to the main plate '7 adjacent its inner edge. The

front end of the main plate 7 is cut off at the corners so as to form ashort, rounded, curved portion '7 at the inner side of the foot and a gradual long curved portion 7 at the outer side of the foot. By this means a clearance is formed for the balls of thefoot at each side sothat they rest directly upon the insole of the boot and do not comein contact with any hard substance and prevents wear on the insole of the boot. The outer longitudinal edge of the pad 6 is extended outward as indicated at 6 so as to extend slightly beyond the top leather piece 5 being supported in a slightly upwardly curved position by a metal plate 11 which is secured to the upper face of the main plate 7, the lip 12 thereof inclining upward so as to support the pad extension 6 snugly beneath the waist of the foot at the outer side edge thereof and give a saddle like support thereto.

The strip 8 is arched so that the front end thereof extends downward in an inclined direction and bears upon the sole of the boot, the extremity thereof being slightly up-curved as indicated at 7 so as to obviate any danger of it cutting into the sole of the boot.

The main plate '7, together with the strip 8 and transverse strip 10, serves to support the longitudinal arch of the-footand keep it well raised behind the metatarsal or transverse arch; and in order to support the transverse arch, we'provide a supplemental pad 13 between the front end of the main plate 7 and the felt pad 6, such pad being placed directly behind the centre of the wearers metatarsal arch consisting preferably of central portion of the foot upward as indicated in Fig. 8 so as to form the transverse arch holding the foot in a comfortable natural position.

In some cases it has been found that there is a tendency for some feet, in walking, to rise clear of the boot at the heel and thereby permitting the support to rise up and down at that end rendering the support uncomfortable. In order to prevent this the untempered flexible 3 portion of the strip 8 is provided with holes 8 in which is inserted, in one hole or the other, a

screw 15'which is screwed into the heel of the shoe thereby holding the rear end of the support firmly in position. In cases where this screw is not necessary, the rear end of the strip 8 bears against the counter portion of the shoe, thus preventing any tendency to longitudinal rearward movement.

It will be readily understood that the natural pressure of the foot upon the arch support would tend to forceit rearwardly and, therefore, there will be no tendency to any forward movement of the support within the shoe. It may be also stated that the felt pad 6 serves also as an insulator preventing the temperature of the ground or pavement affecting the foot to an uncomfortable degree.

From this description it will be seen that we have devised a very simple form of arch support which will have a maximum resilience permitting of a maximum freedom of the foot so that there will be no hard unyielding pressure against any part thereof and therefore allow of normal muscular ligamentary and osseous action and proper circulation of the blood through the feet and of replacement of the ligaments, all the muscles of the feet functioning freely and naturally thereby producing a maximum degree of comfort and preventing other injuries to the foot.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In an arch support, the combination with the main plate, of a longitudinal spring strip secured centrally of the heel end of the main plate and inclined downwardly from the main plate at its opposite end, and a transverse spring strip secured to the main plate adjacent its inner edge and resiliently bearing at its opposite end upon the longitudinal strip adjacent to the transverse arch'of the foot.

2. In an arch support, the combination with the main plate, of a longitudinal spring strip secured centrally of the heel end of the main plate and inclined downwardly from its point of attachment to the main plate to form a single resilient bearing support at the forward end of the shoe and offset intermediately of its length towards the inner edge of the plate, and a transverse spring strip secured to the main plate adjacent its outer edge and resiliently bearing at its opposite end upon the longitudinal strip adjacent to the transverse arch of the foot and resiliently bearing at its opposite end upon the offset portion of the longitudinal strip.

.3. In an arch support, the combination with the main plate and cushion pad secured to the main plate, of a small resilient metatarsal pad secured beneath the front end portion of the plate and the corresponding portion of the cushion pad, and spicular projections extending from the main plate on which the metatarsal pad is impaled.

4. In an arch support, the combination with the main plate, of a felt pad supported on the main plate and skived 01f towards the outer longitudinal and rear edges thereof and having an extension at its inner longitudinal edge extending beyond the corresponding edge of the main plate, a plate secured to the edge of the main plate beneath the pad extension and provided with an upwardly inclined lip supporting the pad extension against the inner side of the waist or foot instep, and a resilient support for the main plate.

STERLING LE ROY S PICER. HAROLD STEWART BOVAIRD. 

